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Writer's pictureNZ Booklovers

Trust Yourself First by Doris Sew Hoy



Doris Sew Hoy is a New Zealand-born Chinese accredited career, leadership and executive coach based in the UK. She works with her clients to facilitate a deeper appreciation of their authentic selves, with the mindset and behaviours to get what they want to have happen.


Her book, Trust Yourself First, is a continuation of her work, a book that is about cultivating self-awareness, confidence and resilience. The book is divided into three main sections: Awareness, Choices, and Behave.


Awareness looks at your model of trust, where you came from, your past and whakapapa, and she provides essential information about how human brains work. This section really sets the framework for you as an individual before looking at the next sections in the book.


Choices, well, it’s all about your options, especially in terms of what you want to do, why and when. She has a chapter about identifying your strengths and values, so you can understand what is important to you. Doris also explains about ‘clean language’, something I’m not going to detail here, as you should buy a book just for this invaluable information alone!


Behave is all about putting things into action. Learning to learn, the value of feedback, communicating compassionately and effectively, building resilience, and cultivating healthy habits.


What makes Trust Yourself First stand out from other books that may be similar is Doris’ writing style. It feels like she is alongside you when you are reading. It’s very clear and easy to understand the various points she raises, and she weaves her personal story into the general information.


Written with compassion and sensitivity, Trust Yourself First is a gem of a book for anyone looking to make positive changes in their lives.


Reviewer: Karen McMillan

New Degree Press

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